Wearable disposable absorbent articles such as feminine hygiene pads, adult incontinence pads and disposable diapers typically include a topsheet of material adapted to serve as the wearer-facing outer layer of an envelope structure that contains absorbent material. Typically the topsheet is adapted to be liquid permeable such that liquid body exudates may pass therethrough, to reach the absorbent material contained in the envelope structure, and be absorbed and retained by the absorbent material until the time the article is removed and discarded. Generally it is desired that the topsheet serve to readily receive aqueous fluid such as urine or menstrual fluid, conduct the fluid in a z-direction therethrough, and release or desorb it to an absorbent structure disposed adjacently beneath the topsheet.
For combined purposes of cost effectiveness, wearer comfort and functionality, topsheets of many currently-marketed absorbent articles are made of nonwoven web material formed in some portion, or entirely, of filaments spun from polymer resins. Through a number of technologies currently known, various types of nonwovens may be manufactured to have sufficient liquid permeability, suitably soft feel to the skin, and mechanical strength making them suitable for forming topsheets. Nonwoven web materials (“nonwovens”) may be formed of synthetic fibers, such as but not limited to fibers spun from polyolefins, polyesters, polyamides, etc., or combinations thereof. Nonwovens may be formed using various processes that form a cohesive fabric-like web in which the fibers are “continuous” (of relatively long, variable and indefinite lengths) or staple fibers (fibers cut into relatively short and substantially uniform lengths).
Various attempts have been made to make nonwovens used to form topsheets visually appealing to wearers/users, to impart them with an appearance of having functionally beneficial attributes, and/or to impart them with actually functionally beneficial attributes. Such attempts have included printing with decorative or functionally suggestive print designs; or embossing and/or bonding to impart decorative, functionally suggestive or even actually functional surface topographical features. These attempts involve transformations generally occurring downstream of formation of a batt of filaments, and have been of limited effect with respect to imparting a perceivably dramatic set of three-dimensional topographical features and/or imparting beneficial functionality. Accordingly, there is room for improvement in cost-effective techniques for imparting three-dimensional structural features to nonwoven web materials to be used to make topsheets. Additionally, currently available absorbent articles with nonwoven topsheets have left room for improvement in providing for rapid acceptance and movement of fluid down into the absorbent structure following discharge, avoidance of fluid retention in the topsheet, and rewetting.